Erect perennial herb up to 50 cm. high, with a tuberous woody rootstock and 1 — several short lateral stems (each 1–5 cm. long) branching from an extremely short woody basal region; vegetative parts, peduncles and pedicels glandular and pubescent, covered with short stiff patent or ± appressed hairs and sessile glands, giving the whole plant a glaucous-canescent appearance. Leaves densely crowded on the short lateral stems; lamina 2·5–12 (15) × 1·5–8 (12) cm., narrowly ovate to ovate, 2–3-pinnate, ultimate segments 1–10 × 0·5–2 (3) mm., linear to oblong, apex rounded to acute; petiole up to 8 (18) cm. long; stipules 4–6 × 2·5–3·5 mm., oblong; to ovate, acute, membranous. 1–2 sympodial leafy, sometimes two-branched flowering shoots arising from each lateral stem, terminating in a compound, cincinnately cymose inflorescence; peduncle 3–10 (15) cm. long, opposed to a very much reduced leaf, inserted at a wide angle, each one shorter than the one below and each bearing a terminal pseudumbel of 2–5 (7) flowers; bracts 3–5 (7), 5–6·5 × 3·5–5 mm., ovate, acute, membranous; free part of pedicel 1–4 (8) mm. Spur 8–12 mm. Sepals 5–8 (9) × 1–3 mm., lorate to narrowly oblong, obtuse or sometimes acute, with conspicuous veins, studded with sessile bottle-shaped glands and a few short stiff hairs. Petals 4 (5), white to mauve with darker veins; 2 posterior 13–16 × 2–3·2 (4) mm., lorate, with a claw 5–7 mm. long, obtuse to deeply emarginate, slightly expanded laterally above the claw, expansion often inrolled; 2 (3) anterior 7–9 (10) × 3–4 (5) mm., oblong or sometimes ± elliptic, with a claw 3–5 mm. long, often with obliquely truncate base and apex. Stamens with fertile filaments 7, 4·5–10 mm. long, sterile filaments (staminodes) 3, 3–4 mm. long, all 10 connate at the base for 2–3·5 mm.; anthers 2–3 (3·5) × 1 (1·5) mm. Ovary with basal part tomentose; rostrum pubescent; style 3·5–7 mm. long; stigma 1·7–2·4 mm. long. Fruit 3·5–4·5 cm. long; cocci 8·0 × 1·6–2·0 mm. Seeds 4·8–5·5 × 1·3–1·6 mm., pale brown, very minutely reticulate (× 50).
